VICTIMISATION EXPERIENCES AND COPING STRATEGIES OF WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES IN LAGOS STATE

Abstract

People with Disabilities (PWDs), especially women, suffer multiple victimisation. This is worsened by cultural beliefs, diseases, poverty and violent attacks. Although extant literature shows the enormity of problems that PWDs face, gaps persist on how women with disabilities (WWDs) construct and cope with victimisation experiences. This study, therefore, examined the social construction of disability, victimisation experiences of WWDs, interventions of state and non-state actors in disability matters and coping strategies of WWDs in Lagos State, Nigeria.

Critical Disability Theory guided the study, while the exploratory design was adopted. Purposive sampling technique was used to select and collect primary data from forty-four participants in Lagos State, where disability laws in Nigeria was first established. The Lagos State Office of Disability Affairs (LASODA) and seven Disabled People Organisations (DPOs) that focused on different types of disabilities were purposively selected. Ten key-informant interviews were conducted with non-state actors, which included seven Heads of the Disabled People Organisations (DPOs) and three state actors, (a policeman, a lawyer and a LASODA official). The state and non-state actors were selected because of their regulatory and intervention roles in PWDs matters. Thirty-one victimised WWDs chosen through snowballing participated in the in-depth interviews to document their victimisation experiences and coping strategies. Three victimised WWDs each were sampled from the seven DPOs (21), 10 destitute WWDs were recruited at Ikeja (4), Iyana-Ipaja (2), Surulere (2) and Ikorodu (2) motor parks. Three WWDs with modest career successes were purposively selected for case studies to explore the complexities of the victimisation and mode of adjustments. Data were analysed using inductive-content and narrative analyses.

Twenty-three participants were married, while fifteen were unmarried. Fourteen participants had visual disability, while twenty-nine had physical disability. Victimised WWDs constructed themselves as “normal” but their significant others (relatives/acquaintances/caregivers) constructed them variously as evil, charity cases, asexual and intellectually deficient. Negative social constructions were influenced by cultural and religious beliefs about disability and led to multiple victimisation with harmful consequences on the life chances of WWDs. Victimisation experienced were physical (beating, poisoning, forceful feeding/administration of drugs and sexual assaults) and non-physical (stigmatisation, pity, denial of medication, intimidation and deprivation) with multiple victimisation being perpetrated by partners, relatives, health/primary care providers and acquaintances. Ill-will, aggression and structural barriers affected the competences, self-esteem and daily activities of WWDs, and prevented them from setting life goals and accessing socio-economic opportunities. The LASODA is the major state actor performing regulatory and intervention roles on WWDs’ victimisation. Non-state actors such as the DPOs investigate and prosecute victimisers and organise seminars to improve the lives of WWDs. However, these interventions have not curbed victimisation due to challenges of implementing disability laws, unavailability of well trained personnel and data on WWDs. Women with disabilities coped with victimisation by devising task-focused, emotion-focused and avoidance-focused strategies.

Social construction of disabilities exposed women with disabilities to victimisation in Lagos State by significant others. State and non-state actors should effectively implement and enforce extant disability laws to mitigate victimisation of women with disabilities in Nigeria.